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Comment by Saltyocean on October 6, 2013 at 7:22pm

Thank you Lydia.  Our sailor is in the AIRR  group which just started Starboard D....one week into it.  So is still in training.

   Thank you for your informative reply.

Comment by Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours) on October 6, 2013 at 5:38pm

Saltyocean.  I cant remember at what point your Sailor is in this pipeline?????  BUT below I posted a link that has phone number help lines you might be able to find out more detail... Ill message my son and ask him but it could be weeks before I hear back from him.........   I would not drop anything yet if your Sailor is still in training.....until you know for certain...Ill definitely ask around and see if I can find out but always remember you can call your Sailors recruiter or any recruiter for that matter and ask...  

As for the Rescue Swimmer AWS/AIRR...(Check your childs contract it will be on there).   my son's contract was for Aircrew Rescue Swimmer...  there are many responsibilities that a Rescue Swimmer performs..also depending upon if they are Sierra or Romeo.. which they will be assigned after RSS if they pass...  from Starboard D to Cargo transfers people transfers to boots on the ground rescue AND Sea Rescues..(haha there are acronyms for all these but I forget them)  my son fly's every day with his Squadron..  two Rescue Swimmers and two Pilots...unless they are doing helo maintenance.. and believe me, once they graduate FRS and are assigned to their Squad... they are learning every square inch of that helo including take off and landings (which are the responsibility of the Rescue Swimmers -the pilots depend on them for both)  The Rescue Swimmer is responsible for Pre- flight checks to be sure the bird is sound and able to fly..  They are considered WET not DRY.  My understanding of DRY is that they actually have a job on the ship and request Rescue Swimmer training as secondary to their actual Rate...  Remember also that there is Sierra or Romeo (please go up to the discussion forum click on View all and read the Path of the Rescue Swimmer)  so there are difference in the two....  it really sounds complicated but its not...  just hard when you are just starting out with your Sailor...  

Here is a link to some phone number of TriCare depending on whether your Sailor is North, South, East, West or overseas....  Im sure you will get some answers if you call them.....  =)

http://www.tricare.mil/ContactUs/CallUs.aspx

Comment by Saltyocean on October 6, 2013 at 4:12pm

With all this news about the Affordable Care Act in the paper, can anyone tell me (us) just what kind of health insurance coverage our sailors have and what the coverage is.  Our sailor is still on our insurance and we would like to drop  that coverage if it is "safe".  I see TRICARE, but don't know what level they get.  Most of the talk there is for family/kid coverage and that doesn't apply.

     Thanks in advance for any info.

And Lydia--thanks for the Starboard D info ---  didn't know about the D formation.  Do the ARS go in the helos, or only "dry" air crew?

Comment by proudmama on October 6, 2013 at 11:27am

Lydia- wow! I learn something new everyday on this site! Thanks for the insight about Starboard D name! Also, thanks for the reminder about the work that is ahead! The road is long and winding...hmmm sounds like a song!

Comment by Lydia (For B - The Sea is Ours) on October 6, 2013 at 11:05am

MK5Diver and Dunmier.....

Starboard D is a hold patter of helo flight...  helos will fly a D formation up above the fleet day and night...  just a holding pattern to keep watch...  Hence the name Starboard D for the kids who are on hold for RSS......    The first School they will have to pass is Naval Aircrew Candidate School....  NACCS...  then they will go on hold for RSS....  hold times vary for a multitude of reasons just like Melissa said........  my son left BC (3 years ago) in August ...  he phased up very fast and was on hold for NACCS from August until late October..  then he classed up for RSS almost 2 months later in fact right in the middle of RSS he came home for Christmas then after they went back finished RSS mid January..  was on hold for A school until March...  his hold times were not as bad as some that I have heard and I know some are longer now... however it does provide them great time to beef back up on their body as well as on the PT ....  remember the attrition rate for RSS is around 75 - 80 percent... as MK5 said, some just can't take the hold times or after all the PT and pool swimmer etc... they decide it is just not for them and they DOR (Drop on Request) and many just fail out and go un-designated.  So just lend all the support you can muster up and remind them that the hold times can actually help them to make it!!!  swim swim swim flutter kicks by the hundreds, mask clearing,.. controlled breathing.. running on the beach..  throw in mask and fins find them put them on clear their mask all within a minute and under the water and that is only a few of the things they will need to practice over and over and over......   work with buddies and do buddy tows, the hardest part my son said in RSS is simply that so many guys just dont pay attention to the instructors and do exactly what they say... one pinky finger out of place and they will fail them...  so the mental is hard.. again hold times can be an exercise in mental.. which is very beneficial!!!  I have posted man pictures of my son on here in the past but he is out of all training and attached to his squad... however, never ever allow their names to be visible..  so if in doubt, just don't post any, especially as MK5 said while they are still in their training phases.. and this is a public site - anyone in the world literally can access this page..

 If you want any who are not sure.... please go up to the discussion forum, click on View All and you will see the OPSEC rules..  as well as Phases and Liberty and also the Path of the Rescue swimmer they are awesome to answer some of yalls questions...    When in doubt, leave it out...

rescueswimmermom - hi there!!!!!   You son should already have his division assigned BUT AND you will get a letter it is a form letter with some very importants notes, instructions AND his mailing address which will include the Division....  hang in there....  you should be getting that letter any day now and his box....  keep us posted!!!!   Unless something has changed that division was already established..  you can also call his recruiter and USUALLY they are good at giving you this info...  =)

Congrats to our new Sailors!!!!

Comment by AOnavymomTN on October 5, 2013 at 9:45am

my son arrived at boot camp a few weeks ago, 9/23. He is on Ship09, Div011. Does anyone know why they haven't formed a 800 Division, or if and when they will?  I haven't been able to talk to my son, hopefully this weekend I'll get the call, so I have so many questions.

I'm so thankful for this support group. 

Comment by nancynature on October 4, 2013 at 10:08pm

Congratulations to all the new Sailors! Moms, you are almost through Boot camp - your own personal one! Soon! Safe travels to all of you that will be going to PIR.

Comment by Melissa on October 4, 2013 at 9:15pm

Count me in Jodi!  And congratulations to all of you who had Sailors finishing Battle Stations this week.  Boot Camp is almost finished and you will be with them soon.  Safe travels for those of you attending PIR.

About time frames from Air Crew to RSS - there is no set time; some people go right in to it with no wait, and some have months of waiting.  My son graduated Boot Camp in Oct 12 and arrived in Pensacola a day later; he completed Air Crew almost immediately but then was on hold until January 13 - however, there were maintenance issues with the pools on base and so no classes were brought up while they were being repaired.  While on hold they continued to train the guys and to watch them closely - those run/swim times, push up/pull up/sit ups, etc while on hold are important and people ARE watching.  Your Sailor needs to be working hard and doing his best especially while on hold when it is easy to think there is no reason to push yourself.  

Once he began RSS in January, he completed that phase and graduated in July.  From there he went to SERE in San Diego and then had another hold until he started FRS (or FRAC) in September.  (Case in point - Mama D's son graduated Boot Camp, Air Crew, & RSS with my son, but they didn't leave Pensacola together, though they are both in San Diego - he arrived two weeks behind my son for SERE, but isn't scheduled for FRS until November, though my son informs me they could graduate RFS within weeks of each other, depending on how training runs.)   Right now he says they are scheduled for completion in January or Feb, but with the government shut down, there could be some training issues once they get to flight status, which was supposed to be next week. 

Anywho, the point of that was - there is no time frame; there is no rhyme nor reason as to why one guy gets picked up for this class and another guy has hold for several more weeks.  You just tell your Sailor to work hard, and keep his nose clean. 

Comment by proudmama on October 4, 2013 at 8:19pm

Jodi- Yes... work really did get in the way today! My call came when I was working with a client. Thankfully, she allowed me a few minutes to talk to my son... and then I had to go... but I did have 9 wonderful minutes with my son today!!! Yay!! It is time to win the lottery... I will ask the lottery agent to please only sell me the winning ticket. I will set us all up for life and we can tour the world supporting our sons and other military parents. Who's up for that???

 

Comment by proudmama on October 4, 2013 at 8:16pm

Thanks to all of you who took a moment to send words of encouragement, prayers or good thoughts towards our AIRR candidates today. They all passed battlestations! Yahoo!! They received a really high score. I think the division earned a 4.98 out of 5. Not sure what that means... but it sounds like they pulled together and worked as a team and that is the point... I'm sure. I started breaking down about 2:30. I thought something must be wrong... why hadn't I received a call yet...but bless you Lydia... You came to my rescue...reassured me that all was well and you were right! Phew!! Thanks again to all of you who have gone before... and are willing to share your support with me and my group of AIRR candidates. You ARE ALL MY ANGELS! Sending hugs to all!

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